"What, do you think I care?" said the other, scornfully. She leisurely cracked and ate as many as she pleased of the nuts, bestowing the rest in the bosom of her frock. Ellen watched fearfully for her next move. If she should open the little door and get among her books and boxes! Nancy's first care, however, was the cup of gruel. It was found too hot for any mortal lips to bear, so it was set on one side to cool. Then taking up her rambling examination of the room, she went from window to window. "What fine big windows! one might get in here easy enough. I declare, Ellen, some night I'll set the ladder up against here, and the first thing you'll see will be me coming in. You'll have me to sleep with you before you think." "I'll fasten my windows," said Ellen. "No, you won't. You'll do it a night or two, maybe, but then you'll forget it. I shall find them open when I come. Oh, I'll come!" "But I could call Aunt Fortune," said Ellen. "No, you couldn't, 'cause if you spoke a word I'd tickle you to death; that's what I'd do. I know how to fix you off. And if you did call her, I'd just whap out of the window and run off with my ladder, and then you'd get a fine combing for disturbing the house. What's in this trunk?" "Only my clothes and things," said Ellen. "Oh, goody! that's fine; now I'll have a look at 'em. That's just what I wanted, only I didn't know it. Where's the key? Oh, here it is, sticking in — that's good!" "Oh, please don't!" said Ellen, raising herself on her elbow, "they're all in nice order, and you'll get them all in confusion. Oh, do let them alone!" "You'd best be quiet, or I'll come and see you," said Nancy; "I'm just going to look at everything in it, and if I find anything out of sorts, you'll get it. What's this? ruffles, I declare! ain't you fine! I'll see how they look on me. What a plague! you haven't a glass in the room. Never mind — I am used to dressing without a glass." "Oh, I wish you wouldn't," said Ellen, who was worried to the last degree at seeing her nicely-done-up ruffles round Nancy's neck; — "they're so nice, and you'll muss them all up." "Don't cry about it," said Nancy, coolly, "I ain't agoing to eat 'em. My goodness! what a fine hood! ain't that pretty?" The nice blue hood was turning about in Nancy's fingers, and well looked at inside and out. Ellen was in distress for fear it would go on Nancy's head, as well as the ruffles round her neck; but it didn't; she flung it at length on one side, and went on pulling out one thing after another, strewing them very carelessly about the floor. "What's here? a pair of dirty stockings, as I am alive! Ain't you ashamed to put dirty stockings in your trunk?" "They are no such thing," said Ellen, who, in her vexation, was in danger of forgetting her fear — "I've worn them but once."